The Spanish Rose
by Tirilan
Summary: This is the story of Catherine of Aragon, a Spanish princess sent away from both family and country in order to wed with Arthur, Prince of Wales and heir to the English throne...
1. Chapter 1

A/N: I have personally put a lot of research into this story but if you find any historical errors constructive criticism is always appreciated! Enjoy and don't forget to review :)

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Chapter One:

It was early in the morning and the sky in the east was just beginning to glow orange when Catalina shifted slightly in her bed before opening her eyes. For a few moments, she lay there quietly staring up at the ceiling of her bedchamber. Today she would be sent forth from her native country of Spain to marry Arthur, Prince of Wales and heir to the English throne. At least she was being allowed to bring some of her Spanish ladies with her… Even so, it would still be extremely lonely. What would it be like in England? Would her intended husband like her? She sighed. Whatever their relationship was fated to be, she was prepared to be a dutiful and loving wife to him. In recent months, the palace at Madrid had been swarming with English delegations and ambassadors who were all eager to get a glimpse of their future queen and meet her. According to her own Spanish ambassador to England, Prince Arthur was as pleasant and charming as he was handsome. He had assured Catalina many times that he was sure she would be happy with him… Suddenly, there was a soft knock on the door and Catalina's friend and lady-in-waiting, Leonora, entered.

"What, Catalina, awake already?" she exclaimed.

Catalina shrugged,

"Mass is in a few hours."

Leonora set down the emerald-coloured dress and matching headpiece that she had been carrying and sat down on the bed. She placed her hand on Catalina's shoulder and said gently,

"You're frightened aren't you?"

"What girl who is not yet sixteen could help but be frightened at the prospect of being sent away from her family and her country in order to wed with a strange man whom she has never seen before?" replied Catalina without meeting Leonora's eyes and Leonora guessed rightly that Catalina did not wish to show her true feelings and the tears that were slowly gathering in her eyes to her.

Leonora attempted to comfort her, saying,

"At least he is not old enough to be your father… Marriages made between royal families are often made for political alliances with no regard for the happiness of the couple. Girls your age are commonly married to men who are well past forty or sometimes even fifty! You are fortunate: the prince is about the same age as you."

Catalina nodded slowly,

"Yes, I know."

There was a moment of awkward silence, and Leonora sensed that Catalina did not wish to continue any conversation on the matter. She bowed her head and did not press the subject. If Catalina wanted her privacy, who was she to protest? Slipping off of the raised bed, she said,

"Come Catalina, I will fix your hair for you."

Then she took a comb and carefully teased out the worst of the tangles before brushing Catalina's long reddish-brown hair.

"It has darkened considerably since last year," she remarked. "When you were young it was extremely fair."

She gestured toward the gown she had placed on a dresser at the other end of the room. The colour of it would match Catalina's green eyes splendidly and stand out in striking contrast to her hair.

A couple of hours later, Leonora finished setting the headpiece on Catalina's head and took a step back to survey her work.

Any man who looked at her now would be a blind fool if he did not think her beautiful…

"There," she said. "You look lovely."

Catalina smiled (almost a sad smile, Leonora thought), and turned to look at herself in the mirror. Leonora had not pinned her hair up nor entwined it with a gold net. No, she had merely left it down with a small braid down the back in the Spanish style so that her long hair flowed over her shoulders and curled down her back. However, there was one small thing that seemed to be out of place. Finally, Leonora realized what it was and stepped forward to remove the headpiece from Catalina's head. She laughed,

"Now you look like a woman again!"

The two women clung together laughing but sobered as a knock sounded on the door. Catalina straightened and drew herself up to her full height with her head held high before admitting the messenger. The man bowed low to her and recited his message,

"Princess, your most noble father and mother require your presence at the royal chapel immediately."

Catalina thanked the messenger graciously and informed him that she would come momentarily. As she walked down the hall of the palace, she murmured softly to Leonora,

"This is the last morning mass I shall attend in my own country for a long time…perhaps even forever…"

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A/N: For those of you who are wondering, yes, this is a story of Catherine of Aragon. Catalina was her Spanish name. If this story gets enough reviews, I am hoping to make this into a series of stories each dealing with the first three of King Henry VIII's wives: Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, and Jane Seymour. I understand if this chapter was a bit boring but I had to introduce Catalina's situation etc. before she goes to England. Please please review!

**Justine**


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Wow! Eight reviews! Thanks so much guys! I can't tell you how much I appreciate this! It means so much to me. To all of my reviewers: I love Catalina (Catherine) too and I think that she is very overlooked (not to mention misused by Henry! grrr). That is my simple and consistent reason for writing this fic about her. Anyway, here is chapter two. Please read, review, and enjoy!

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Chapter Two:

Catalina shivered as she knelt in prayer on the cold stone floor of the chapel. Although she was very much trying to concentrate on the words being spoken by the monk, she could not stop thinking of her future country and people…and husband. She had never even seen a picture of him… The slow and deep chant of the monks was the only sound in the room aside as Catalina dutifully rose from her place and approached the monk. Sinking down onto her knees before him, he placed his hands on her head and said in his deep and thunderous voice,

"May God bestow His favour upon you and protect and guide you as you make your journey across the sea to one day become Queen of England."

Catalina bowed her head in acceptance of the blessing and returned to her place in silence. After the mass had ended, Catalina returned to her chambers and found her ladies-in-waiting bustling excitedly and packing the last of the gowns, headpieces, jewellery, etc. They all stopped as soon as she entered the room, however, and curtseyed. One of the ladies, a young girl of about fourteen or so, was standing at the window and watching the celebrations below.

"Look, milady!" she said eagerly, pointing to all the banners and silks of all colours.

There were brilliant reds, royal purples, deep pinks, light greens, and blues that matched the color of the bluest sky. Catalina stood breathlessly by the window and was reminded of all the pleasant things that would be hers when she was Queen of England. It would not _all_ be unpleasant. Some of it, perhaps…but not all. Behind her, she was vaguely aware of Leonora instructing Catalina's other ladies-in-waiting what to fetch or where to place a particular gown. She smiled to herself. Below her, she suddenly noticed a small party of men in bright attire coming towards the palace.

_The English embassy, no doubt,_ Catalina thought. _They have come to take me back with them…_

Turning around, she clapped her hands together,

"Ladies," she said. "We shall now make our entrance and greet the English ambassador and his retinue."

So saying, she motioned for them to follow her in pairs of two with the exception of Leonora, who remained single and only slightly behind Catalina on her left side.

As they descended the staircase, Catalina reached for Leonora's hand and held it tightly. Leonora was, at this time, about twenty years old, a few years older than Catalina herself. It was this difference in age which made Catalina so attached to Leonora. Her mother, Isabel of Spain, although she doted on her youngest daughter, had had very little time to spend with Catalina throughout the last sixteen years. Consequently, Catalina had become extremely close to Leonora. Though not quite as close as a mother's relationship with her daughter, it was the most intimate relationship (and therefore sense of stableness and security) that Catalina had ever known. Once in the courtyard, the little cluster of women was met by loud cheers from the small crowd of nobles and courtiers. King Fernando and Queen Isabel were there too with the English delegation. The king first spoke,

"Today we are here to confirm the engagement of our daughter, the _Infanta_ Catalina of Spain…"

Here loud clapping ensued and it was several seconds before they quieted. The king continued,

"…to his Royal Highness, Prince Arthur of Wales…"

The crowd again expressed their happiness at the prospect of such a union and clapped enthusiastically.

"…in the hopes that this matrimonial alliance may help to unite our two great countries."

The ambassador replied to the king in a dialect Catalina did not understand, but the tone made it clear that the offer was graciously accepted. He went on for quite some time and Catalina guessed rightly that he was flattering the king and queen (and probably herself) and elaborating on what a great privilege it would be to have the great Spanish empire as an ally. When he finished his speech, he stepped up to Catalina and she held out her hand to him as he respectfully raised it to his lips. Catalina smiled,

"Your Excellency does me great honor."

The Queen Isabel now spoke and invited the Englishmen to dine with them in the great hall before going back to sea. This proposal was quickly assented to and the ambassador held out his arm to Catalina. She accepted it somewhat shyly and Leonora fell back slightly to allow the ambassador to take her place.

Dinner that evening was very splendid indeed and Catalina lost count of the number of courses. Seated at the head of the table were the King and Queen. The English embassy sat at the King's right hand and Catalina and her sister, Maria, were seated on the Queen's left. After that came all the nobles of the court according to rank and importance. Catalina, knowing that everyone's eyes were on her almost all the time, felt very much as though she were on display. Well, she would have to get used to it, for she supposed that being on display was something that was expected of queens. When, at last, the feast was over, and the majority of people had left the hall, Catalina retired also, intent on getting a good night's sleep. This, she thought, would be the last night that she would be able to sleep in peace. It was a long journey to England and she was not sure how well she would be able to rest with the constant rocking of a ship beneath her. When she had finished undressing and slipping into a white shift, there was a soft knock on the door and Catalina found herself staring into the face of her mother, Queen Isabel.

"Well, my daughter," she said. "Tomorrow you are to leave you father and I…"

Catalina nodded slowly and bit her lip to stifle a sob.

"I wanted to give this to you before you left," her mother continued.

As she spoke, she reached into the folds of her gown and produced a rosary with ivory beads. She took Catalina's hand and pressed it into her palm.

"My younger brother, your uncle Alfonso, gave this to me just before he died," she said.

Tears started to well up in her eyes,

"He was only fifteen…"

She sniffed briefly and then, suddenly, embraced her daughter and held her tightly. Catalina fought hard not to cry and tried to smile when the queen released her hold.

"Goodnight, Catalina," she said quietly.

Then, with a quick rustling of her dress, she turned towards the door and disappeared down the dimly lit corridor. Catalina stood still and watched, knowing in her heart that she would never see her mother again.

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A/N: Well, there's another chapter done! I hope you liked it! As always, please please review and I promise to do more!

**Justine**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: **Thanks for all the reviews, guys! Wow, I didn't expect to take this story to seriously…but all of you have helped to re-inspire me! Anyway, here is chapter three. Please read, review and enjoy!

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Chapter Three:

The next few months were very difficult and trying for Catalina. As a young child, she had loved the sea and would often go down to the shore with her brother and sisters. Now, despite being aboard such a large and splendid ship, Catalina had fallen ill and hardly left the elaborate cabin that had been prepared for her. Many of her ladies, while trying to appear strong for their mistress, had also taken a slight chill and sometimes a little fever…but nothing too serious. To make matters worse, the ship had encountered several violent storms which had blown them a number of miles off course. Thus, the journey was taking far longer than initially anticipated by the captain of the vessel. Then, one morning, after a fairly rough night, Leonora entered Catalina's cabin with a sort of tray in her arms and a wine flask.

"This should bring your fever down a little," she said as she poured a Catalina a small glass of the tonic and held it up to her.

Catalina took the glass obediently and forced herself to swallow the bitter liquid.

"Ugh, it's vile!" she exclaimed. "What is it?"

Leonora shrugged,

"I'm not entirely sure. I'm told it's the best remedy for a sore throat and fever… the men use something similar when they fall ill at sea."

She paused and added with a smile,

"The captain tells me we should only be aboard this ship for a few more days before we land near Plymouth. From there," she calculated on her fingers, "it should only take us about a week to travel to London."

Catalina sank back on her cushions with relief. In only a few more days she could set foot on dry land again…

"That is why we must make you well again before we land," Leonora continued. "You must be healthy enough to travel on horseback…"

Catalina leaned her head back and closed her eyes. Although she was vaguely aware of Leonora talking to her, her mind and thoughts were elsewhere.

London… England… Arthur…

How strange it was to think that she would soon be married… Catalina let thoughts drift through her mind. How would it feel to be a wife…and possibly a mother?

_But I am so young in the ways of this world… How will I know how to behave when I am queen? Maybe all that people wish for in a queen is that she gives her husband a son to succeed him… But no, that is not what I want. I want to rule alongside my husband. I want to know my subjects…and, above all, I wish to be loved by my people…_

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The captain's prediction proved to be correct. Two days later, the coast of England was sighted on the horizon and Catalina was informed that she would arrive in Plymouth before the day was done.

As Catalina stepped onto English soil for the first time, she looked up towards the heavens and prayed silently,

_O Lord, thank you for delivering me safely to this country and grant that I may find a warm welcome here._

She slept soundly that night for the first time in nearly three months and rose at dawn the next morning. A thick mist lay hovered slightly above the ground and the sounds of birds singing over the soft noise of waves crashing against the shore was the only thing that penetrated the silence of that still morning. Catalina wrapped her heavy cloak around her tightly and wandered aimlessly through the mist. After several hours, she turned her gaze slightly to her left and saw a rider galloping rapidly towards her. Slowly, other horsemen appeared, too. In a matter of minutes, the first figure she had seen leapt down from his horse and bowed to her.

"You are the Spanish Princess?"

Catalina nodded her assent and the man kissed her hand.

"I am Henry, the younger brother of your betrothed husband."

Catalina smiled shyly,

"I am very pleased to meet you, Your Highness."

He smiled back and Catalina was glad to think that she had found a friend.

"And I you, my lady."

He stopped for a moment and then turned and gestured to his followers,

"We have come to escort you to London."

"That is very thoughtful of you," Catalina replied kindly.

"How long have you been awake," Henry asked.

"Since dawn," answered Catalina with a little laugh. "I was eager to see some of your country.

"Well, we will pass through some very scenic areas on the road to London," Henry remarked. "I hope you do not mind being in the saddle for such a long time?" he inquired suddenly. "If you wish, I could arrange some alternate means of transportation for you…"

Catalina shook her head,

"No, that is quite alright. I don't mind…truly," she added at his quizzical look.

"If you insist," he said with a smile. "But remember to let me know if you change you mind…"

"I will," Catalina promised.

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**A/N: **Well, as always, thanks for the reviews and the support! I really appreciate it and I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please review and I promise to update as soon as I can!

**Justine**


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